


INL: The Road to Discovery

by CheshireInWonderland



Series: Inaba's New Light [2]
Category: Persona 4, Persona Series
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-24
Updated: 2018-05-09
Packaged: 2019-01-30 18:08:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12658722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CheshireInWonderland/pseuds/CheshireInWonderland
Summary: As Kari becomes the latest victim of the kidnappings occurring in Inaba, she learns that you can never escape the past, no matter what.Part 2 of the Inaba's New Light series





	1. Rescuing Kari Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, welcome to the latest installment of Inaba's New Light. As you can see, I've split the story into parts within the series. For anyone who hasn't read it, Inaba's New Light introduces a new character (Kari Yuki, Yu Narukami's adopted sister) into the Persona 4 universe. While it's not essential to read it, it does show Kari's relationships with old and new characters in the series.  
> INL: The Road to Discovery starts with the IT venturing into the TV World to rescue Kari (mid July), so for anyone who does want to check out the first installment, you'll find it in my works located on my profile. For everyone else, I hope you enjoy this first chapter.

Chapter 1 - 12th June 2011, late morning

 

"So, is everyone ready to go?" Yu asks the other four members of the Investigation Team, after concluding their meeting. Everyone nods their head for confirmation.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Yosuke replies, his chair skidding loudly behind him as he hurriedly rushes to the television department (the others quickly following him), determination bright in his jasper eyes. His fingers are the first to brush the screen of the television, before plunging through into the other world. One by one, each individual makes their way into the TV World until they all stand before their furry friend, Teddie.

Teddie's body shakes slightly as he begins to speak, his eyes clouded with worry. "I can definitely sense someone new here. It must be Sensei's sister."

"We don't need to find any clues or anything about her like we did with Kanji-kun, do we?" Chie asks, worriedly.

"Nope. Her scent has already bear-ied itself into my mind," Teddie replies. "Follow me."

Within a ten minute walk, the group stand outside the familiar looking tower, its height similar to Yukiko's castle. The exterior of the tower is allocated with worn out bricks in shades of dark grey and black, the sides of the building uneven and crumbling away. Debris falls from a higher part of the tower as a gust of wind picks up, chilling the members of the Investigation Team as they watch it erode.

"It's night time here," Yukiko murmurs as she stares at the half moon hanging above the tower, the only light in the starless sky. "I wonder why?"

Chie rubs her arms nervously. "It looks like a haunted house. I swear these places seem to get worse," she mutters to herself.

"We've got to make sure that she's rescued quickly," Yu says to the group. "Teddie, can you sense what the fog is like here?"

"Hmm, it's fine for now. But I don't think you'll have as long to find her like you did with Yuki-chan and Kanji."

"So what, like a week then?" Kanji voices aloud. "That's plenty o' time."

Yukiko shakes her head. "It's less than that. We have the school camping trip next weekend. So we don't have that much time."

"Well, why are we still standing around out here then?" Yosuke says impatiently. "Let's go already."

"Chie, you stay here with Teddie. Keep an eye out for shadows," Yu orders. "Everyone else, come with me. We're going to rescue Kari. We'll do it before the trip, even if we have to come back everyday until then."

Everyone nods in agreement, their determination to rescue their friend fuelling their desire to catch the culprit.

"Lead the way, partner," Yosuke says, flanking his best friend.

 

\---------------------------------

 

After pushing the doors to the tower's entrance open, the four individuals make their way down the corridor. They observe the decor of the tower as they walk, swirls of dark purple and black clashing together on the smooth marble floor to create an uneven ombre effect. The walls themselves, however, are vastly uneven in texture.

Yukiko is the first to notice a pattern. "There's faces on the walls," she says, shocked.

"'s not the time to be freakin' out," Kanji grumbles, but shifts uncomfortably as he speaks. He yelps slightly when he hears a voice speaking.

_"So, you're the new transfer student, huh? Go on then, tell us; why are you here?"_

_"Did you get kicked out of your old school? Catch the attention of an older man?"_

_"Nah, she seems too much like a goodie goodie. She was nothing and that's what she'll become. She'll be all alone." They laugh together in unison._

_All alone, huh? Not like I have been for most of my life. I need to make a change..._ Kari's thoughts end with a whispered promise.

Yosuke clenches his fist. "I can't believe they said that. She was bullied for being new. She hadn't done a thing to them and they already branded her as an outcast." He shakes his head. "Kari usually appears so happy. If she thinks she's alone, something none of us picked up on, it makes me wonder how well we really know her."

Yu says nothing in response and resumes walking. As they approach a corner in the pathway, Yu tightens his grip on the sword in his hands. He slows his pace and the others notice, following suit. Yu manages to land a surprise attack on two shadows and within minutes, the group easily annihilate them. They venture on towards the stairs, effortlessly destroying anything in their path.

Once on the second floor of the tower, they cautiously make their way to a large double door coloured in dark charcoal. An x is messily painted in the middle of the two doors, its colour a dark crimson.

"I really hope that's paint," Yosuke murmurs, worry overcoming his brave facade.

Before Yu can push open the door, voices echo against the walls.

_"Did you hear about the transfer student saying she can't remember going missing?"_

_"Bullshit. I bet she's faking. She probably heard those rumours about those couples who disappeared a couple of months ago and wanted to hitch a ride on the rumour train."_

_"No doubt about it. She's such a little liar. No wonder her family sent her away."_

After the voices fade away, Yu shakes his head irritably. "We never sent her away. The school she went to had offered her a scholarship when we moved in the area. It was one of the only times we went to different schools." His eyes flicker downwards, remembering the past.

"Sensei, look out bear-hind you!" Teddie's voice screams out at them.

Yu quickly draws his sword and swings in a tight arc, clashing with the sword of an armoured figure. The other team members surround the shadow, each of them having their weapons drawn and ready to attack.

"Teddie, scan the target," Yu orders, before forcing the enemy backwards with his sword. "For now, Yosuke, focus on buffs. Yukiko, heal us if we need it but attack if you see an opening. Kanji, focus on physical attacks while I find an elemental weakness."

Each member replies to their leader's commands, doing their best to keep their distance. The samurai warrior tries his best to land an attack, occasionally swapping his target, but thanks to Yosuke's stat boosts, they manage to dodge almost all of the shadow's attacks, allowing Yukiko to quickly heal the wounded.

Meanwhile, Yu switches between the persona in his team, making a mental note over which elements he had already tried. _It seems to be strong to physical, and ice and fire are out. It's taking everything in me to dodge his attacks. Even with Yosuke's help, it seems to be just as successful at evading attacks as we are._ He jumps back as the shadow's sword swipes at the spot he was standing at just seconds ago. _We need to end this quickly, we're using up too much magic fighting him._

"Sensei, it's weak to hama skills," Teddie calls out.

"Power!" Yu commands, summoning the angel. He raises his staff as a light strikes the warrior, surrounding him before dissipating.

"All right! Let's keep going!" Yosuke exclaims. He pushes on the door in front of them, which swings open with ease. The team dash through the open door and hurry up the staircase before them, bringing themselves one step closer in finding their friend.

 

\-----------------------------

 

"Hey there, sleepy head. It's time to get up," a nearby voice calls out.

My eyes begin to flicker, my vision blurry.

"See, I told you she was faking," a voice giggles. "She's had plenty of time to do that. No different to usual."

My eyes adjust to the figure in front of me, bent forward at the waist as she watches me.

Feeling my eyes widen at the sight before me, I back away from the figure. "Wha- Why do you look like me?"

The me in front me giggles a fake, childish laugh, trying to be cute. "That's because I am you, silly. But," she waggles her finger to and fro. "We'll get into that later. For now though, I've got some guests to play with. So, our fun will have to continue when I get back." She waves at me and begins to walk away, then stops. "Oh." She whirls around on the spot and skips over to me. "Better make sure you don't try and escape." She pulls out a syringe full of an iridescent liquid.

Before I have chance to move away, she lunges at me and grabs my arm roughly. "Nighty night. Sleep well, Hikari."

"Hey, why..." I hear my words slurring, my vision beginning to cloud over once more. _Who was she talking to before?_

I would have to wait to find out the answer.

 

\----------------------------------

 

"We've made it to the third floor," Yukiko murmurs, staring at the windows, illuminated by moonlight. "I wonder how much further there is to go?"

"Well, if it's anything like the others, we still have a long way to go," Yu replies.

"Damn, thought we coulda saved her today." Kanji sighs, shaking his head.

"I wish we could," Yosuke mutters, before sighing. "Let's hurry. I don't want Kari to be stuck in this place any longer than she has to be."

The others nod their heads in agreement. They carry on making their way through the crumbling castle, their journey in silence save for the occasional fight with a shadow. With no interruption from Kari's inner thoughts or surprise attacks, it isn't long before they make their way to the fourth floor.

As they reach the corridor at the entrance to the fourth floor, Yosuke is the first to reach the door. His hand grabs the door handle and just as he begins to push it open, Teddie's voice interjects. "Yosuke, stop! Watch o-"

A blinding light envelops the group, who try to shield their eyes from the light. Then, everything goes dark.


	2. Rescuing Kari Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, welcome to the latest chapter. I'm sorry for the slow update, but I didn't feel like writing much over Christmas. A big thank you to everyone who has stuck with the story and a special thank you to Reim for their comment on the previous chapter. I'm so happy to hear that you're enjoying the story :)  
> Happy new year everyone and I hope you enjoy the newest chapter, where the group are one step closer into rescuing Kari.

Chapter 26 - 12th June 2011

 

Yu opens his eyes, only to see the world around him full of darkness. "Yosuke?"

No answer.

"Guys?" His voice remains calm, however inside, he begins to feel uneasy. "Teddie!"

Still no response.

A sinister chuckle could be heard from nearby. _"You never truly realise how powerless we all are when we're alone. I know how it feels to be alone, now let's see if you can walk a mile in my shoes."_

Yu's hands reach for his sword. _It's bad enough that the lights are out but the fact that I'm alone makes it even more dangerous._ He tries to focus his eyes on his surroundings, which were gradually becoming used to the darkness, then sees the dim moonlight illuminate small sections of the room. _With the moon still being in its crescent form, the Shadows are going to be at an advantage. And if the clouds decide to cover it, I'm going to be in trouble. I have to be careful._

With one hand gripping the hilt of his sword, Yu slowly makes his way to the corridor, using his other senses to guide him now that he has limited vision. His feet slowly creep on the marbled floor, taking care not to make them squeak.

Five minutes later, he hears footsteps not too far away from him. Yu stops and holds his breath, silently praying for the other figure to carry on walking past him. No such luck. The footsteps slowly make their way towards him, gradually closing the distance between them. Yu silently curses this change of events and tightens the grip on his sword, ready to strike the approaching individual.

The figure makes their way into a sliver of moonlight and Yu remembers to breathe again, exhaling in relief. "I've never been happier to see you, Yosuke."

"Huh? Yu?" Yosuke squints in the darkness, only just making out his friend. He places his kunai in one hand, no longer held out to strike. "What the hell happened? Where's Yukiko-san and Kanji?"

"It's most likely a trick by Shadow Kari to keep us apart. We're stronger together, so it's likely she knew that we'd be more vulnerable if we're separated."

"Yeah, I think you're right," Yosuke says in agreement. "I think I remember Teddie trying to warn us something was going to happen." He sighs, frustrated. "The darkness is going to make things very difficult. I know we're at least a bit safer now that we're together, but I wonder when the lights will come back on?"

Yu remains silent for a moment, then chooses to voice his thoughts aloud. "I don't know if you heard it or not, but just after we got separated, I heard Kari's voice again. She said she knew how powerless people can be when they're alone and she knows what that's like, so she wants us to walk a mile in her shoes."

"I hope she doesn't mean literally," Yosuke mutters. "Who knows how long that will take?"

"I don't know," Yu replies, softly. "But we can't just stand here. We have very little light to see and we can't go onto the next floor without the others. I just hope they're okay."

"They won't go down without a fight," Yosuke reassures Yu. "But let's hurry anyway."

The two friends resume their search for their teammates, while cautiously being on the lookout for shadows. Neither one dares to break the silence, choosing not to risk being found by the enemy.

Ten minutes later, silence still reaches their ears. Then, Yu's fingers brush against the handle of a door and he slowly pushes it open, trying his best to keep it quiet.

"Well, we've at least found the stairs," Yu murmurs quietly to Yosuke after making out a faint outline of the steps before them.

"I never thought I'd say this, but I wish Ted was here. That bear would've come in handy," Yosuke whispers back, silently praying for their missing friends' safety.

Yu nods and turns his back on the staircase. "We need to find the others. Let's go, Yosuke."

They try their hardest to memorise the location of the stairs. Within five minutes of walking, they hear a loud crash. Yu and Yosuke stop in their tracks and hesitate, before trying hurrying to the source of the sound. The sounds of objects making contact with beings becomes louder, shouts and screams filling their ears as they run. Then, a flash of lightning brightens the corridor and they run, feeling the burn ache in their legs and chest as they rush towards the light.

Suddenly, the lights abruptly come to life, momentarily dazzling the pair, before they run into the heat of battle.

 _A literal mile of walking in her shoes._ Yu's mind concludes as they run. _Clever, but thank goodness the lights came back on. Our friends are in danger._

They finally see their friends before them, surrounded by three giga shadows. Kanji frantically calls his persona to use mazio on the shadows, while Yukiko sways unsteadily on her feet. Through a mid summon of her persona, one of the shadows charges at her and hits her directly, instantly knocking her out.

"Yukiko!" Yosuke shouts, before diving into battle. "Let's do this, Jiraya!"

He quickly summons his persona, using magaru to distance the shadows from the group.

"The hell took you guys so long?!" Kanji barks at the pair.

"Not now, Kanji, we need to get out of here," Yu replies, quickly scooping Yukiko into his arms. He glances over at Yosuke. "Yosuke, do you think you can keep some distance between us while we escape?"

"You got it," Yosuke replies. "Jiraya!"

 

\-------------------------

 

Ever since the group had gotten separated in Kari's dungeon, Teddie had been frantically trying to contact his comrades, but with no success.

"Sensei..." Teddie calls tiredly, trying his hardest not to lose hope. He hangs his head dejectedly.

"Teddie..." Chie starts, then pauses. "I'm sure they're okay." She forces a smile. "They're all strong and they wouldn't go down without a fight."

"Yeah, they're beary strong, especially Sensei," Teddie mumbles. "So why- Oh, I can hear them!" His ears twitch, picking up the group's calls.

"Teddie?" Yu's voice calls out to him.

"Sensei!" He cries, happily.

"We're sorry for worrying you," Yu continues. "We're coming back now, see you shortly."

Chie smiles at Teddie, relieved to finally hear her friend's voice. "See, I told you everything would be fine..."

The pair shield their eyes from the glow of a Goho-M being used. Once the glow disappears, Chie's eyes widen at the sight before her. "Yukiko!" She sprints to the group, pushing Yosuke out of the way to get to her best friend.

"Ow... Damnit, Chie. That hurt," Yosuke grumbles.

Chie collapses to her knees as Yu gently places Yukiko on the ground before them.

"Nigi Mitama," he whispers. "Recarm." The sky blue demon appears before them, emitting a green glow that envelops Yukiko. The demon fades away as Yukiko's eyelids begin to flutter, her dark chocolate eyes slowly opening.

"Yukiko!" Chie lunges at her best friend as she sits up.

Yukiko tries her best to keep them both stable and smiles. "I'm sorry for worrying you, Chie." She wraps her arms around Chie.

"It's okay." She moves a hand to get rid of budding tears in her eyes before she chuckles softly. "I'm glad you're back." She pulls away from Yukiko and looks at the young men in the group. "What the heck happened in there? Teddie said he couldn't get through to any of you."

"We'll tell you later," Yosuke replies. "Let's get outta here. Yukiko-san needs to get some rest."

"Yeah." Kanji nods in agreement. He reaches into his pocket and hands Yukiko some medicine. "Here. Found this before eveythin' kicked off."

She hesitates. "That's very kind of you. But you're hurt too, Kanji-kun. Maybe you should take it."

"Nah, I'll be fine." He shrugs. "'sides, I've had worse than this before."

"Just take it, Yukiko," Chie replies. She stares up at Kanji. "Thanks for looking out for her, Kanji-kun. I never expected you to be such a gentleman."

Kanji's cheeks flush a dark crimson. "S-Shut up! Just thought she needed it more than me."

"I don't mean to ruin the moment, but we really should head home for the day," Yu says, distracting the group from Kanji's torment.

"Sorry, sorry!" Chie says. She abruptly stands and offers her hand to Yukiko. "Let's go home, Yukiko."

The five persona users say their farewells to Teddie, before making their way out of the television.

 

\-------------------------

 

14th June 2011, afternoon

"Chie, watch out!" Yukiko calls out to her best friend, before using agilao on a shadow behind Chie.

Chie quickly sidesteps the attack and it hits the shadow head on, incinerating it to ash.

"There's no end to this," Yukiko sighs, shaking her head.

"We're nearly at the eighth floor," Yu replies. "Don't give up now."

Yu, Yosuke, Chie and Yukiko continue their venture to rescue Kari. Yesterday, it had been Yu, Yosuke and Kanji forming the search party. With Yukiko sitting out of battle and Chie refusing to leave her side, it had just been the three of them. With their healer missing out on the action, it was up to Yu to heal the group when they needed it. As such, they had only managed two floors of the tower before calling it a day, having just made it onto the seventh floor.

"It should hopefully be a bit easier now that there's four of us here," Chie says as they walk down the corridor.

"Don't say that so casually," Yosuke warns. "It's not exactly been a walk in the park. And we don't need you jinxing us."

"I know, but Kari wouldn't want you to be such a downer," she replies. She opens a door before the group and smiles. "See, I've even found us the stairs."

"You got lucky," Yosuke mutters, following her up the staircase.

As they reach the top of the stairs that lead onto the eighth floor, they're met with Kari speaking her inner thoughts.

_"These people that found me... they claim to be my friends, people that I can depend on. But how can I trust others when I don't even trust myself?"_

Chie gasps. "I thought you guys said she doesn't remember going missing?"

"She doesn't," a voice says, a figure emerging from around the corner. "Or at least, not yet." Shadow Kari chuckles. "Long time, no see. It seems you're all very determined to rescue her. Is she really worth it though?" she asks, mockingly, the gleam in her eyes over ruling her bored demeanour.

"How could you say that? Of course she is!" Yosuke snaps at her.

"Sensei, something's wrong," Teddie's voice whispers at Yu. Yu subtly moves closer to Yosuke, ready to stop him from making any irrational moves.

"Are you serious? She's a lying, manipulative bitch!" Shadow Kari screeches. She shakes her head and sighs. "Oh well, don't say I didn't warn you."

"Sensei!" Teddie calls again, louder this time. "Everyone, run!"

"What...?" Yu's eyes widen when he hears the faintest rattle of chains come from down the staircase behind them. Heeding Teddie's warning, he orders his teammates, praying they'll obey. "Guys, run!"

Chie pulls on Yosuke's arm to distract him from Shadow Kari. "We need to go. Now, Yosuke!"

"Damn it," Yosuke growls. "We will rescue her," he shouts to the shadow as he flees with the others. "Your game will soon be over. We will get Kari back, even if it's the last thing I do."

Shadow Kari crosses her arms and smirks, watching the Investigation Team bolt from the approaching shadow. "Oh, little prince. I'm having far too much fun for the game to be over yet." Without turning her head, she speaks to the shadow behind her. "Go get them, my little Creeper. Let the game of cat and mice commence."

She snaps her fingers and the aptly named shadow slinks forward, a smaller version of the Reaper shadow, armed with a suppressor gun, a tranquilliser gun and a shorter, lighter chain, begins its pursuit. While small for a reaper family shadow, it moves faster and quieter than the full size Reapers.

"He's going to have so much fun playing with them!" she squeals, clapping her hands together excitedly. "I'd better go check on our guest."

With those words, she swiftly disappears to the top of the tower, leaving the four persona users to face their toughest foe yet.


	3. Rescuing Kari Part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, welcome to the latest chapter installment. About this chapter... I had quite a bit of difficulty writing the last section of this chapter. The fight scene at the beginning was pretty fun to write but I may end up re-writing part of this chapter if it doesn't pan out well in future chapters or if too many people have complaints about it. (I tend to ramble at times, especially with plot twists - sorry!)  
> I'll post a quick warning that there is a bit of bad language in this, you have been warned.  
> Anyway, I hope you're enjoying the story and let me know what you think, as well as any recommendations you have for any fanfics I should check out.

Chapter 3 - 14th June 2011, afternoon

 

"Skull cracker!" Chie shouts, calling forth Tomoe, unleashing a physical attack on the Creeper. The shadow recoils slightly but quickly recovers. "It's still standing! Why won't it die?"

"Urgh, Teddie. Why isn't this thing dead yet?" Yosuke growls while summoning Jiraya, sending a gust of wind to throw it off balance.

"I've just finished analysing that unbearable being," Teddie announces. "It has no weaknesses, but no resistances either, except for light and dark skills."

"Its health must be a lot higher than the other shadows we've faced," Yu adds, quickly summoning Oni to resist some of the damage from the bullet fired his way. "Yukiko, watch out!"

But his warning comes too late and she gets hit with a tranquilliser dart, taking away some of her health and sending her to sleep.

"Yukiko!" Chie cries, then growls. "You'll pay for that. Assault dive!"

Tomoe bursts forth and strikes the Creeper, knocking him cleanly off his feet.

"Here's our chance! Let's go!"

Chie, Yu and Yosuke rush forward to perform an All Out Attack. Minutes later, they back away and wait for the dust to settle.

Yu's eyes dart over the large cloud. _Surely that should have done it?_

*Bang* *Bang*

Two bullets head their way, the rifle's bullet grazing Yosuke's arm and the tranquilliser dart hitting Chie, causing her to collapse to her knees before passing out.

"Chie!" Yu cries out, before summoning Oni to put some distance between them.

"Sensei, Yosuke. You guys need to run!" Teddie screams.

"No way! We're almost there, I can tell. I'm not leaving Kari here for another day!" Yosuke yells, an angry fire burning in his eyes.

Yu nods stiffly. "Okay. Don't do anything reckless." He summons Nigi Mitama and casts media on them all, trying his best to guard the girls.

Yosuke laughs darkly. "I'm going to make him pay." He calls forth Jiraya once more to boost his speed, then lunges towards the Creeper. He slashes at the shadow with his kunai, striking him repeatedly.

The Creeper swings his chain around, trying to loop it around Yosuke's leg. While fast for a shadow, Jiraya's speed boost made Yosuke even faster. He quickly jumps backwards. "Jiraya!"

Materialising before him, Jiraya repeatedly casts garula as Yosuke chants the spell frantically like a mantra.

 _One more hit,_ Yosuke wills. _Come on, you bastard. Why won't you die?!_

Yu stands there, momentarily shocked at the scene before him, before acting as support for Yosuke, scrolling through the variety of personas inside him. While Yosuke carries out the assault, Yu uses this time to buff their stats and keep their health high, all the while trying his hardest to deflect the Creeper's attacks.

"I will not give in. I won't lose Kari to the likes of you!" Yosuke roars. "You're going down! Come on, Jiraya. Give it your all!"

Once again, Jiraya materialises before them, summoning a tornado to trap the Creeper. At the same time, Yu summons Oni to smash the shadow, sending it crashing into the wall. The Creeper slowly picks itself up out of the wall.

Yosuke's eyes widen, sweat glistening his furrowed brow. "No way. He can't-"

He cuts himself off as he watches the Creeper stagger forward, collapsing to the ground and wasting away before their very eyes.

"We did it," Yu whispers, being the first one to break the silence.

Yosuke slumps to the ground. "We finally beat that bastard." He chuckles weakly. "Man, I'm beat."

"So much for don't do anything reckless(!)" Yu mutters.

"Yeah, well, when it comes to Kari, all bets are off," Yosuke replies.

"Heh, you don't need to tell me that." Yu smirks. "It's clear how much you care for her."

Yosuke smiles bashfully. "She's unlike anyone I've ever met. And it kills me that I can't see her and hold her. I just..."

"Yeah, I know, bro," Yu murmurs. He glances over at Chie and Yukiko. "They should be waking up soon." A dazzling light from the corner of his eye catches his attention. _What the-?_

The two men turn their attention to the sparkling orb of light dancing before their eyes, watching as it suddenly begins to expand in size. They shield their eyes from the brightness, until the light fades away to reveal a platinum door standing before them.

 _"Well done on passing my test, my little investigators,"_ Shadow Kari whispers into their minds, fake saccharine lacing her voice. _"You're capable of facing things head on instead of running away, no matter how painful it may be. Open the door before you when you're ready to see your 'friend' again."_

 _A short cut, huh..._ Yu turns to Yosuke. "Yosuke... I know how desperate you are to save Kari today and believe me, I know exactly how you feel. But there's no way any of us are in any fit state in fighting her shadow today. Plus, I really need to stock up on supplies. There's no telling what will happen once we enter that room, so we need to be prepared for anything."

Yosuke groans. "And I was really hoping that today was the day that we'd save Kari." He sighs. "You're right though. Let's get the girls and go."

Yu nods and pulls out a Goho-M from his pocket as they move to their unconscious friends. "See you soon, Kari," he murmurs, before the four disappear from the tower.

 

\-----------------------------

 

15th June 2011, afternoon

 

I feel myself begin to rouse from unconsciousness. "Mmph..." I slowly open my eyes, then open them wide at the sight before me. I jump up and edge backwards. "What the- Were you watching me sleep?!"

"Sleeping beauty has to wake up at some point," Shadow Kari snickers.

My face flushes at her comment. "I see that this is all some game to you. You've had your fun, now just let me go. Please."

Shadow Kari bursts into hysterics. "You're seriously asking me nicely to leave this place? I know your little game, playing the sweet, loveable girl who's feigning memory loss. But I know you better than anyone, so you need to stop lying to yourself."

I freeze, shocked. I shake my head in disdain. "It's not an act. How dare you spout that nonsense at me!" I hiss. "Stop pretending to be me and leave me alone."

The door opens behind Shadow Kari, Yu and the others (along with a tricolour bear) run into the room. They stop and watch the scene before them.

My eyes widen when I see them. "Everyone's here..." I whisper, shocked. My eyes focus on Yosuke, feeling tears build up inside me. _I'm so happy to see you. I never thought I'd see you again, but I don't know if I can handle this right now._

"'It's not an act' she says," a voice says from behind us, hidden in the shadows. "I don't know about you, but she makes me sick."

I whirl around and try to identify the voice, the figure shrouded in darkness beneath the wall of distorted mirrors. _That voice, I feel like I've heard it somewhere before..._

"Wha- Who's there?" Chie asks, as two figures walk into the light.

I feel the blood drain from my face, my body shaking. "It's not possible. I-"

"Be quiet, Hikari," the other figure commands, a boy in a crisp school uniform says, one golden eye covered by tanzanite hair.

"It's because of you we're dead," the first voice hisses, belonging to a girl in a similar attire to the boy, her wild yellow eyes clashing with the fiery red headphones around her neck. While she appears unhinged, her companion's demeanour is too calm, almost as though he's waiting to strike.

"Kari, who are they? What are they talking about?" Yosuke asks, eyes flickering between the two unknown figures.

"I..." _I can't handle this._ 'New' memories begin to flash before my eyes, many of which contained these two people within them. I grab my head, unable to process all the information. _The pain, it hurts too much!_

I sink to my knees and cradle my head in my hands. "Make it stop! Just go away!"

"We're here for you, Kari," Yu shouts out to me, the sound muffled as my hands cover my ears.

Shadow Kari smiles devilishly at me. "I see you're finally starting to remember more things. Now do you see? Stop turning away from the truth. After all, I am you, and you are me."

I shakily try and stand up, shaking my head back and forth. "Stop it! I don't want to remember any of it! You're not-"

"No, Kari. Don't say it!" Yosuke pleads with me.

I ignore his cries and face the figure before me. "You're not me!"

Smoke begins to swirl around the two shadows as Shadow Kari moves away. I feel her grab my arms and yank me backwards as I watch the two shadows transform into an angel and a demon.

The angel dons a platinum robe against white skin, his blue hair being the only colour against his lifeless body. Whilst the red haired devil dons a black, leather catsuit, her eyes covered by a red eye mask. A sinister grin and a blood encrusted machete completes the look.

"We are the shadow of her true self," the angel says.

"We're tired of being repressed, of being trapped," the devil adds. "Welcome to hell. Let's have some fun."


	4. I Am You and You Are Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's finally time for the fight between the Investigation Team and Kari's shadow selves.

Chapter 4 - 15th June 2011

 

_Welcome to hell..._

Everything begins to come back in to focus again. I find myself bound by wire, being hung from the ceiling towards the side of the room. I try to move and wince from the pain, the wire digging into my wrists. "Ow, hey! Let me go!"

"Kari!" Yosuke shouts, leaving our group of friends to face the two demons before them and runs towards me, deciding that he alone would save me.

"Why am I not surprised that you'd be the one to play hero?" Shadow Kari taunts.

"You should know by now that I'd do anything for Kari," Yosuke replies. "She's coming home with me, with all of us, today."

She chuckles. "Very well. Let's see if you can change her fate and help her break free." A black mist surrounds her, before revealing a being with long charcoal grey hair reaching her waist, a dark purple floor length robe covering the bone-white body. Broken wings matted with black feathers protrude from her back, a matching feather mask covering half of her face.

"I am her true shadow, her other self. I am the decider, the one who punishes the flaws and celebrates the good. Let's see if you can handle me."

Yosuke pulls out his kunai, changing into an offensive stance. "Let's do this."

 

\-----------------------

 

"Damn it, why's it healin' again?" Kanji grumbles, left hand holding his right arm.

Once the battle had started, the group had focused solely on attacking the red haired devil, only for the other shadow to heal when they had landed a certain amount of hits. When they had attacked just the other, the devil would unleash a series of physical attacks. If it wasn't for Yukiko's healing and Yu's quick reflexes at attempting to block the attacks with Oni, it's unlikely they would all still be standing.

"Teddie, how's your analysis coming on?" Yu asks, using dekaja to remove the enemies' buffs.

"All done, Sensei. All attacks should work except for light and dark skills." Teddie pauses. "Oh, the Cheerful Masochist is weak to electricity and the Apathetic Fiend is weak to fire."

"Why couldn't you say that first?" Chie mutters. She faces Yu. "So, what's the plan?"

Yu pauses. "Taking them out one at a time isn't going as well as I'd planned. So, here's what's going to happen: We know their weaknesses now, but we need to take them out at the same time. Otherwise, they're just going to keep healing if they're not both distracted.

"Kanji, you focus on little Miss Psycho over there and Yukiko, go for the Apathetic Fiend. But be careful, I feel like he's not shown his true power yet."

They nod in understanding (Kanji smirking at Yu's nickname for his target), before Chie adds. "So, what about us?"

"Try and use physical attacks on them both, but don't be afraid to use ice attacks if you can't get close enough. I'll help with healing and buffs, but if there's an opening, I'll attack too," Yu replies, eyes locked onto the shadows.

The Cheerful Masochist laughs, twirling the machete around with one hand. "We must be boring you kiddies if all you wanna do is stand around talking," she taunts. "Time to turn up the heat." She launches forward and before the group has time to react, she swipes at Chie, bringing her to her knees. Cackling triumphantly, she targets Chie again.

"Not this time!" Yu shouts, intercepting her machete with his sword. Embers fly from the weapons, causing Yu to distance himself from the shadow. _That was interesting,_ he thinks to himself, noting the heat emanating from his sword.

Meanwhile, Yukiko attacks the Apathetic Fiend with ease, who makes no attempt to dodge her attacks or retaliate. She slows her attacks, before coming to a stop, aware of her leader's previous orders. "Yu-kun..." she says cautiously, eyes never leaving the shadow.

Yu turns his attention to Yukiko, noticing that the Apathetic Fiend had barely moved since the battle had begun. "Teddie, can you sense anything from this guy?"

"Bear with, Sensei..." he mutters. "Er... oh! It seems like he's charging up an attack. He may be using the damage caused from your attacks to amplify his. You need to defend, quickly!"

After following Teddie's advice, the team change into a defensive stance, Yu quickly healing the team with a value medicine before defending.

"Watch out!"

 

\----------------------------

 

"Watch out!" Teddie's voice rings in everyone's ears.

Yosuke turns his attention to the group. His eyes widen when he sees the distorted mirrors behind the shadows begin to pulse, cracks forming in the glass.

Everything around him happens in slow motion.

"Jiraya!" He frantically cries, willing all of his power to summon his persona. Jiraya dashes through the air as the mirrors shatter, millions of shards flying through the air. He shields Kari with his body, the glass slashing Jiraya's body.

Kari's eyes open in shock, having expected the mirror fragments to hit her. "Yosuke!" she cries, seeing him sink to his knees, his palms flat on the ground.

 _Thank goodness I made it on time,_ he thinks through gritted teeth, forcing Jiraya to stay materialised for as long as possible. The air around him fills with the screams of his friends trying to shield themselves from the glass rain, and the girl he loves pour her heart out as she helplessly watches everyone suffer because of her.

_I hate that I've made you cry. I'm sorry, Kari._

He slowly climbs to his feet, wiping away a trail of blood from the corner of his mouth and looks up, dismissing Jiraya.

"My, my. You're still standing after all that?" Shadow Kari taunts. "It seems I've underestimated you."

"No more games," Yosuke rasps, spitting blood onto the floor. "This ends now." He clutches his kunai to his sides, his knuckles encrusted with blood. He stares at the glass fragments surrounding him and forms a plan. "Let's do this Jiraya!"

 

\-----------------------------

 

After the glass shower had ended, Yu glances at each of his teammates to assess their injuries. Other than a few cuts, they all seemed to be relatively unscathed.

_It's a good thing Teddie warned us when he did._

"No more games." Yu turns his attention to Yosuke, seeing him face the shadow guarding Kari.

 _Yosuke's barely sta- wait, hold on._ He catches Yosuke looking at the mirror fragments and immediately realises his plan. "Guys, listen up." He turns his attention back to the group, knowing that he has to act fast. "Kanji and Chie, I need you guys to keep these two trapped for as long as possible. But get ready to move quickly, so I need you to be focused. Yukiko, heal us and use a yashichi on my command."

He changes his persona to Titania as Yosuke summons Jiraya. Chie summons Tomoe and summons blocks of ice to block the two shadow's escape routes, while Take Mikazuchi stands ready to retaliate any movements. Yukiko quickly heals the team and Yu gives the signal, speaking simultaneously to Yosuke.

"Now! Margaru!" "Garula!"

The gales of wind from each of the attacks pick up the mirror fragments, forming tornadoes of glass that head straight for the shadows. Take Mikazuchi knocks the fleeing Cheerful Masochist into the tornado, the force of the gales trapping all three shadows inside. The fragments combined with debris from their attacks cloud their view.

Yu holds his breath, waiting impatiently for the tornadoes to settle.

The two shadows before them crumble to the floor and dissipate. However, the one guarding Kari sways unsteadily.

"You've gotta be kiddin' me," Kanji murumurs, watching Yosuke struggle to stay standing.

"We need to go help him," Chie speaks up. The other three nod in agreement, before they rush over to their friend.

Once they're close enough, Yukiko uses diarama on Yosuke. "Thanks," he gratefully says, his vision becoming stable once again.

Yu turns to Yosuke, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We'll take over from here. You just focus on getting Kari down."

"Thanks, man," he replies, before staring up at Kari, her eyes shut tight. _She's struggling to hold it together. I'll save you._

"You guys are that determined to get killed for your precious friend?!" Shadow Kari spits, no longer toying with them. "Fine! I guess you'll just have to die for 'me'!"

"Everyone, defend quickly!" Teddie screams as a tornado begins to form before them.

"Oh no, you don't!" Yu shouts. "Titania." His hand clenches around the tarot card and the fairy queen is summoned before him. She uses her own garula attack, pushing the forming tornado backwards. Yu focuses all of his energy into the attack as the tornado sways between the two sides.

The group brace themselves from the strength of the tornado, doing their best not to get sucked in. Yosuke takes advantage of this situation and summons Jiraya, who soars through the air up to Kari. Closing the distance, he sends his shuriken to cut through the wire, causing Kari to fall.

"Aarghh!" She screams, falling through the air. Jiraya races down and catches her before she hits the ground. He lowers her into Yosuke's open arms and disappears. She clutches tightly onto him, not quite believing what's happening around them. "Yosuke! Hey, are you okay?"

"I should be the one asking that," he replies, placing Kari onto her feet and pulling her into a hug. "I'm okay. Just really happy that you're safe."

"Me too." She wraps her arms around him, enveloped by the heat. "Thank you for saving me."

"Anytime, Kari. I'll always be there for you." Yosuke reluctantly breaks the hug when he realises that the battle is over. "Come on. There's something that you need to do. Believe me, it's not easy. But we're all here for you."

Kari looks away, before nodding nervously. "R-Right."

She cautiously walks over to her shadow self, who is once again wearing the tattered school uniform. "I think I'm beginning to understand now how you're here. You're born from a part of me that didn't want to accept the truth. When we moved here, I felt like that I'd truly found a place that I belonged, somewhere that I could be happy. I didn't want to remember the past, remember how painful it was to have to go through losing my family all over again.  
"I still don't remember everything, there's still a lot of gaps in my memory of them. But I'm not going to run away from it anymore either. Together..." I say, holding her hands in mine. "Together, we'll find the truth."

"It won't be an easy journey," she murmurs.

"I know that it will be hard, that there will be things that I don't want to hear. But as long as you're with me, I know that we can handle anything. Because, I am you and you are me."

She nods in understanding and closes her eyes, having finally been accepted, before being bathed in a pale blue light. Within the light, Shadow Kari transforms into a being with long, wavy black hair, starkly contrasting against her pale white skin. A dress adorned with various shades of navy and sapphire reaches past her feet, fastened tightly with a corset tied back. A golden eyemask adorns her face, the only colour on her porcelain face. She begins to disappear and envelops a blue glow around Kari.

_I am Lethe, born from the forgotten sea of your soul. Come, my child. Let's take this journey together._

The glow stops once she finishes speaking. "Lethe," Kari murmurs, placing a hand on her chest. She sinks to her knees, tears streaming down her face.

"Woah, you okay, Senpai?" Kanji asks cautiously.

"No doubt that she's exhausted," Yu says, picking Kari up, the last of her energy leaving her. "That was a lot for her to go through."

"I never knew that she was suffering so much," Yosuke murmurs as he shadows Yu, his eyes never leaving Kari.

"None of us did," Chie adds gently. "Maybe part of her blocked it out to protect her from herself."

"Let's get her home first and we can talk about it later," Yukiko concludes.

"Good idea. Let's go home, guys. Can you lead us back, Teddie?" Yu asks his friend, who had been strangely quiet since Kari had accepted herself.

Teddie nods. "Follow me, Sensei. Time to get Kari-chan outta here."


	5. When Two Hearts Become One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, hope you're well! Welcome to the latest chapter where there's finally some romance between our favourite couple (which makes a nice change to write from drama). So yes, the days will be going quicker again and there will be time skips of a few days at a time at points, but just like with real life, there's days where not a lot happens.  
> Anyway, I hope you're enjoying the story and feel free to comment on how you think the story is going.

Chapter 5 - 19th June 2011, afternoon

 

A faint beeping sound could be heard not too far away, its slow, continual beeping forcing my closed eyelids to flicker. _Won't somebody turn off that damn- Wait!_ My eyes fly open, focusing on my surroundings, which are mainly white besides the blue-grey sky that can be seen from the window and a vase of pink roses on a table at the end of the room.

"I made it out alive?" I whisper to myself, my voice sounding hoarse. "I'm in the hospital?"

The beeping had come from the EKG monitor next to my bed, its beeping increasing from the shock I had experienced just seconds ago.

I try to move but feel something hold me down. "Oh!" My cheeks flush darkly. In the chair beside my bed, Yosuke holds my hand while he sleeps, his head resting on my legs while his body awkwardly stretches from the chair.

"Yosuke," I whisper, tears filling my eyes. I take in his haggard appearance, dark circles under his eyes, his clothes crumpled and creased as he had waited for me to wake up. I hesitantly reach my free hand forward, wincing slightly from the iv cannula in my arm pinching my skin, and gently stroke his unkempt hair. _It's softer than I thought it would be,_ I marvel, running my fingers through the strands of cinnamon.

His head begins to stir, causing me to cease my movements. He lifts his head up and yawns sleepily, before his eyes squint from the light. Until they lock onto mine.

"Aagh! K-Kari,er,um..." he bolts upright and rubs his head with his free hand. "How, er," he clears his throat. "How are you feeling?" He winces slightly. "Sorry, stupid question."

I squeeze his hand gently, causing him to flush deeper. "S-Sorry. I know I shouldn't've held your hand while you slept." He tries to pull his hand away but I hold him in place.

"Yosuke, stop," I say, my voice raspy. "I think it was really sweet. That you've been looking after me, not just today but you've been there for me. I really can't thank you enough."

He shakes his head. "It's because of me that you're here, that you got hurt. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you," he adds, his voice dropping to a whisper.

I swallow nervously, my heart racing. "I'm sorry to have worried you. But I'll be okay."

Yosuke sighs, stroking my held hand with his thumb, heat spreading through my body. "I've got something I need to tell you. Something that I've gotta get off my chest."

I nod, holding my breath. "Okay. You have my full attention."

"Well, um, here goes..." He closes his eyes and exhales loudly, before opening his jasper eyes to stare into mine. "I like you. A lot. I really care about you, and honestly, when I said before that I was happier being just friends, I was wrong.  
"I think you're the sweetest and most loving person I've ever met. You're such a tease at times, but I love that side of you too. And when I stare into your beautiful eyes," he says, reaching out his free hand to cup my cheek. "You make me feel safe and secure, knowing that I don't feel alone in this world. Because I'm sitting here with the prettiest girl I've ever seen, and yes, even in this state I stand by my word." He adds, causing me to laugh.

I feel the tears roll down my cheeks. "You obviously need your eyes tested, Yosuke."

"Not when it comes to you, Kari," he replies, gently wiping away the tears on my face. "You're unlike anyone I've ever met. You're special. And whatever problems you have, I want to be there to help you. Together. That is, uh, if you feel the same way about me."

I take a moment to try and breathe, to calm my slightly shaky body. The only noise to fill the silence is the EKG monitor, its erratic beeping mirroring both my nerves and my excitement at this situation.

"Since the moment I met you, I felt something for you that drew me to you. It was weird, I've never connected with anyone like that before." I pause, trying to organise my thoughts. "I won't lie to you. It hurt me when you pushed me away from you. Part of me is afraid of getting hurt again. But I understand why you did it, so I forgive you." I stare at our intertwined hands. "You're the one that I can't get out of my mind, the guy that I thought about when I was stuck in that damn place. You risked your life to save me."

"And I'd do it again," he replies, eyes scanning my face, seeing into my soul. "I'd do anything to keep you safe, no matter what."

"And that terrifies me." I stare into his eyes once more. "But... I can't imagine you not being in my life. You're someone very special to me. And I don't want us to be 'just friends' anymore. I-" I swallow, feeling my voice begin to break. "I just want to be with you," I whisper.

After hearing my confession, Yosuke forces his lips onto mine. The shock of it causes me to gasp, helping him deepen the kiss. I close my eyes and surrender myself to the heat, kissing him back as the tears continue to fall. The erratic beeping of the EKG machine becomes white noise to us as we only focus on each other in the here and now.

Yosuke is the first one to break the kiss and gently rests his forehead against mine. "I can't tell you how long I've been waiting to do that."

I close my eyes and smile. "Me too. You kept me waiting long enough."

He laughs heartily, his breath tickling my cheeks. "I guess I've got some making up to do."

"Hell yeah you do," I chuckle, gazing into his eyes before kissing him.

He groans when I pull away. "I can't wait 'til you get out of this place."

"Me too. I've always hated hospitals." I sigh.

The room's light had become a pale orange as we had talked.

 _I hope I'm not keeping him from anything._ "Hey, Yosuke? If you're not busy, could you stay here for a bit longer? I don't want to be alone."

He smiles reassuringly. "Anything for my girl."

 

\------------------------------

 

20th June 2011, late afternoon

"You're saying that you don't remember anything at all when you disappeared?" Adachi clarifies, doubt written on his face.

"You say it like I chose to leave," I mutter. "From what I hear, you were one of the last people to see me before I was kidnapped, detective." I hear the sarcasm seep into my voice and I shake my head. "I'm sorry. I'm not up for a lot of questions and it feels like we've been going in circles since we've started. Can't this wait until I'm discharged?"

"You know that we can't do that, Kari," says Dojima. "We need to get as much information as we can while it's still fresh in your memory. And as we've had to wait until today for you to see anyone, you're more likely to forget something the longer it's postponed."

I lean my head back on my pillow for a moment, resting my eyes from the bright light. "Okay." I sigh quietly. "I'll tell you what I remember."

I explain to them again the day of when I was kidnapped but leave out all activity of what happened in the other world.

_There's no way anyone would believe me if I told them about it. I'd end up being transferred straight to a psychiatric ward._

"...and the last thing I remember is waking up here," I conclude. "I don't even know how I got here."

Dojima analyses my face, searching for a hint that I may be lying to him. He sighs. "Fine, I guess we're done here."

"You're seriously going to leave it at that?" Adachi exclaims, gawping at Dojima.

"From what we've heard from the toxicology report, it's quite likely whatever was injected in her was in her system for at least a couple of days," Dojima replies. "It would explain why she can't remember anything, as well as link to her passing out from dehydration and malnutrition."

Adachi's eye twitches ever so slightly, which goes unnoticed by Dojima. However, within a few seconds, his whole demeanour changes. "Haha, as smart as always, boss. With you hot on the trail, it won't be long until this case is solved."

 _Kiss ass._ I tentatively touch my arm where I had been injected just a few days ago, letting my hair hide my reaction to Adachi's comment. "Any idea what it was that was injected into me?"

Dojima shakes his head. "Not a clue. Some form of anaesthetic. And with the chloroform that you say was used, it's quite likely that the other victims had the same thing happen to them. Although, it does make me wonder why you're the only one that happened to?"

I look down at my hands. "I wish I knew."

The door to my hospital room opens and a nurse wearing a pink cardigan enters the room. "I'm sorry to disturb you, detectives, but I'm afraid visiting hours are now over."

"That's okay. I don't think we're going to find out anything else today," Dojima replies, standing up from his seat. He grabs his jacket from the back of his chair and faces me. "Get plenty of rest and I'll come pick you up tomorrow."

I smile up at him. "Thanks, uncle Dojima. Don't overdo it."

His skin flushes slightly and he laughs dryly. "That's what Adachi's here for."

"Haha, you know it, boss," he replies awkwardly, before the two leave the room.

"Thanks for putting them off seeing me until today, Uehara-san," I say to the nurse gratefully.

"No problem. I wouldn't want to have to find your boyfriend a bed in the ward," she replies with a smirk.

I feel my face begin to heat up. "I, erm... I-I don't know what you're talking about."

Sayoko chuckles, tucking a strand of mocha coloured hair behind her ear. "You're cute when you blush. Don't try to deny it, sweetie. When your heart rate monitor went crazy, I had to come check it out. I wouldn't be a very good nurse otherwise, would I? But it really did surprise me when I saw that cute young man who'd been glued to your bedside since you arrived locking lips with you." She places her hands on her cheeks and sighs. "Ah, to be young and in love. That takes me back."

Having finally recovered, I sigh with a smile on my face. "I guess I can't get anything past you. But I still really appreciate you not saying anything to them."

"Oh please, it's not a problem. I know exactly what it's like to keep your men a secret," she replies slyly. "Be grateful it wasn't one of the other nurses. Those old bags would've told your uncle all about it." She shakes her head, then analyses my face.

"What...?" I say, nervously.

"You've got that glow. The new-relationship glow," she murmurs. "I miss that. 'Course, there's not a lot of eye candy around here and most of them are taken."

 _Not that I feel like that would stop her,_ I note hesitantly. I smile sheepishly at her. "I'm sure you'll find someone who can handle you."

"I'll hold you to it," she says with a wink, before we both laugh. We continue to talk for a while longer before she heads off to check on some other patients and I decide to have an early night, trying to get plenty of sleep in preparation for tomorrow.


	6. Home is Where the Heart is

Chapter 6 - 21st June 2011, late afternoon

 

"Okay, that's the last of the discharge papers completed," a grey haired receptionist with kind eyes says to myself and Dojima from behind the reception counter, filing them away in a cabinet nearby. "Now, you're going to need to take it easy for the next couple of days," she says to me, eyes twinkling with amusement. "If you feel dizzy or lethargic at all, don't hesitate to contact us."

I nod. "I'll try not to overdo it."

"I've already contacted your school. They're not expecting you back in until at least Friday," Dojima adds. "So you're on lockdown until then."

He laughs heartily and the nurse joins in, believing him to be the overprotective father figure. But I see through his facade and say nothing, knowing that if I say even the slightest thing wrong I'd regret it later.

_I know he's not 100% convinced with my story and I don't want to give him any reason to poke holes at it. Even if I told him the truth, he would still be thinking that I'm lying to him..._

"Right then." He places a hand on my shoulder. "Let's get you home."

"Thank you for looking after me," I say to her with a bow. "Can you tell Uehara-san that for me please? She was great."

"No problem," she replies with a small smile on her face. "Take care."

_I hope the receptionists aren't like some of the nurses she told me about. Then again, Inaba is a small town. I'm sure I'll see her again._

Dojima leads me to his car parked up in the hospital carpark, holding an umbrella over us as shelter from the rain. He unlocks the car and opens the passenger side door for me, all the while balancing the umbrella between us. "Come on. Get in."

I quickly climb in and he swiftly enters from the driver's side and starts the car. We drive in silence, the only sound coming from the windscreen wipers.

I lean my head against the glass, watch the scenery pass us by. The coolness of the glass chills my skin, the refreshing feeling causes me to close my eyes.

The next minute, I hear the car door slam shut. I lift my head up slightly and realise that we've stopped at Möel, the petrol station. Dojima wanders away from the car after speaking to the grey haired fuel attendant to smoke, while the attendant heads towards the car.

He grabs the nozzle for the diesel pump and begins to fuel up the car. He leans forward while doing this and lightly raps his long, bone white fingers against my window. I move my head from the sensation and see him beckon me to open my window.

"Er, hi..." I mumble, uncertainty filling my voice. _Why does he want to talk to me? It must be a slow day for him._

"This must be the first time we've actually spoken to one another," he speaks matter-of-factly. "I'm surprised to see you out and about already."

My eyebrows furrow together. "...What's that supposed to mean?" I ask quizzically, uncertainty filling my voice.

He shakes his head. "Nothing, really. Just that when there were other... disappearances." He hesitates, choosing his words carefully. "They kept away when they returned. Yet, here you are, where anybody could see you." He studies my face. "There's something about you that's different from the others. I wonder what it could be..." He trails off his spoken thoughts. His eyes flicker towards Dojima, who stubs out his cigarette and makes his way towards the car. The fuel attendant loosens his grip on the pump's lever, cutting off the fuel transfusion. "All done for you, sir."

"Great, thanks." Dojima hands the man some money before entering the car once more.

"Take care getting home. You never know who may be watching," he murmurs quietly enough so that only I can hear him. Even as the car drives away from the petrol station, I feel his eyes still watching me, chilling me to the bone.

 

\-------------------------

 

"Welcome home!" Nanako nearly screams when she sees me, launching herself at me.

"Woah!" I take a step backwards to balance us both. I reciprocate the hug. "I've missed you too."

"You were gone for so long!" she cries. "Is your tennis training over now?"

"Er..." I lock eyes with Yu (who's standing nearby) and he mouths _"go along with it"._ "...Yeah. It was pretty intense, but they think we might compete against another school, so it's good practice."

It wasn't a total lie. Ami had spoken to me in the past about hopefully competing this year but she wasn't sure if the team would be ready yet.

_Here's hoping she's had better luck while I've been away._

"Yay! I wanna come watch you play if you do," she cheers happily.

"See that, Kari? You've got your own personal cheerleader," Yu adds, placing a hand on Nanako's shoulder.

She turns to him for a hug, her happy facade crumbling before her. "Promise me you won't go away again without telling me. I didn't like not seeing you for so long."

"I'm sorry, Nanako," I say softly, guilt tugging inside me. "I promise that I won't leave again without saying goodbye."

She nods somewhat numbly, trying her best to keep a smile on her face. "I'm going to run a bath and go to bed."

"Okay, sweet dreams," Yu murmurs, sadness in his eyes. He watches her walk up the stairs and shakes his head, sighing quietly. "I hate lying to her. But there's no way we can tell her the truth."

"I just hope that she doesn't find out from someone at school," I reply, not meeting Yu's gaze. "It would be even worse to hear it if there's any rumours going around than it would be from us."

"It's unlikely anyone at her school will be talking about it. We did well to contain the knowledge of your disappearance, so your biggest concern will be dealing with the kids at your school," Dojima says. "We'll sort out your story another night. I gotta head back to work for now though." He faces me. "Don't leave the house today."

I shake my head. "I'm not that stupid, don't worry. Stay safe out there."

"No need to tell me that," he says with a sigh. "Right, I'll be back late. Don't wait up for me." With those words, he swiftly exits the house.

Yu and I momentarily stand in silence, wondering who will be the first to speak. Yu is the first to cave and sighs. "Look, I'm sure you have a lot of questions-"

"You're damn right I do!" I interject.

"-but right now," he says, speaking over me. "You'll just have to be patient and wait. As you're on house arrest, there's no way we can tell you everything you need to hear. And I doubt Dojima will be too impressed if I bring the others over."

I scowl at him, before sighing in exasperation. "Fine. I'm not exactly happy to wait, but I've already waited this long so I guess I can wait a few more days. Besides," I say, walking into the kitchen to make a glass of water. "That isn't my biggest concern right now."

"Oh?" Yu leans on the counter beside me. "What's on your mind?"

 _Good going, idiot. You've dropped yourself in it now._ "Well..." I take a large sip of water, desperately wracking my brain to come up with a lie. Failing miserably, I shake my head. "It's Yosuke's birthday tomorrow and I haven't gotten him a present," I whine. "I had it planned and I just had to buy it and now it's too late!"

Yu snorts and struggles to suppress his laughter. "That's it? I thought it would be actually be something to worry about." He lets loose a laugh and shakes his head, mockingly wiping away a tear. "I forget how naive you can be sometimes."

"Shut up," I grumble. "I can't even leave the house to go buy it." I seat myself down at the kitchen table and slump forward.

Yu chuckles. "I was wondering when you'd bring it up. I was planning on teasing you for a little bit longer, but seeing as you've just gotten out of the hospital, I'll play nice."

I lift my head up and raise an eyebrow quizzically, signalling for him to continue.

"I ran into Hanamura-san at Junes the day after we found you. He told me you had an idea for Yosuke's birthday and had been waiting for the delivery to arrive with his gift. It's already in your room, it just needs wrapping."

I stare up at him, at a loss for words. "I really don't know what to say," I whisper. I swallow awkwardly. "Thank you for being a great brother."

"No need to thank me," Yu replies. "You should be thanking Hanamura-san. He'll make a great father-in-law someday."

"Totally, haha..." I laugh awkwardly, my voice catching. I let my hair act as a curtain to hide my stumble, my cheeks flushing slightly.

"I never said he'd be yours." Yu smirks. "Besides, that's way off in the future."

"Way, WAY, into the future," I add.

"Who knows what will happen? Anyway," he stands away from the counter. "I've got some studying to do. Have a good night."

"Goodnight, golden boy," I tease as he makes his way to the stairs.

I see his body shake as he laughs and he turns his head back to face me. "Good one. Oh, I nearly forgot..." He strides towards me and pulls me into a hug. "Welcome home."

I close my eyes in acceptance and lean into the hug. "It's good to be home."

 

\------------------

 

I open the door to my bedroom, its hinges softly squeaking from the motion. Stepping inside, my eyes scan the room, everything remaining untouched since I left.

 _Part of me still can't believe that I'm home. I'm... home._ I feel tears begin to slowly trickle down my cheeks and just let it all out, breaking free from the happy facade I'd kept up for so long. All the pain and grief hitting me about my forgotten family, the frustration from still hitting walls with my memories. For my friends risking their lives to save me, despite them finding out everything about me.

 _I don't deserve to have been saved._ I hug my arms around myself. _They should have just left me there to die._

I feel a pair of arms circle me from behind, causing my body to jump. "You're not alone. Let me be there for you," Yosuke whispers to me.

I turn around to face him, staring at his worried face. Yosuke says nothing and gently pulls me into his arms. He kisses the top of my head and rests his cheek on my head.

I don't question why he's here, how dangerous it would be if Dojima found him here. I don't say anything. Instead, I just bury myself in his embrace, inhaling his scent. A faint smell of citrus and spice hits me and I welcome it, closing my eyes from the comfort of it. My body shakes as I continue to cry and I feel Yosuke begin to stroke my hair, doing his best to calm me.

After a while, I feel myself gradually come to a stop before no more tears fall.

"Feeling any better?" Yosuke murmurs to me.

"...No." I sigh, my voice muffled against his chest. I try to pull away but I feel Yosuke hesitate. "I'll be okay, Yosuke."

"Don't lie to me, Kari," he says, looking down at me. When I don't meet his gaze, he hooks his thumb and forefinger around my chin and forces my head up. "Look at me."

I hesitantly look up at him. "I'm sorry, Yosuke." I swallow nervously. "I'm still trying to process all of this. I've never felt quite so vulnerable before. It's, uh, difficult for me to truly let people in. I don't even let Yu in as much as I could. But, I'm going to try." I touch his cheek and he kisses my hand. "I don't want to make you or anyone else worry about me anymore." I flash a small smile at him.

He chuckles softly. "There's that beautiful smile I love," he teases softly. "I will always worry about you, that's something you can't change." He pauses for a moment. "I just want you to feel like you can talk to me about anything, okay?"

I close my eyes. "I know." I open my eyes and gaze into his. "Thank you."

"Anytime, Kari." He sighs quietly. "I wish I didn't have to leave but I'd rather not get put into hospital when you've just got out."

I chuckle at his joke. "Before you go... Erm..." I walk over to my desk and pull out a Junes bag. "I, uh, got you a little something."

"A Junes bag. Just what I've always wanted(!)"

I lightly smack his arm, which causes him to laugh. "S-Shut up." I feel myself blush. "Just open it." I pause. "It isn't wrapped though. Sorry.."

He reaches into the carrier bag and pulls out a square case from inside. Shock registers on his face as his eyes clock the gift. "This is.." He looks up at me, mouth agape. "I've been after this for so long! How did you get a copy?"

In his hands rests a rare copy of Shihoko Hirata's latest album, which features an extra disk with acoustic tracks and a live version of Key Plus Words.

"Yeah, I heard that you went to Okina City recently to try and get a copy," I reply, watching him with a smile. "Happy birthday, Yosuke."

He looks up at me with a twinkle in his eyes. "My birthday isn't until tomorrow though."

"I know, but I won't be able to see you then." I seat myself on the small settee behind me. "I'm pretty much on house arrest for the next few days. So I wanted to be the first one to wish you it."

"But this." He gestures to the CD. "It's too much."

"Well, I wanted to get you something special," I murmur.

"You already did. You're my girl; there's nothing more special than that," he replies, seating himself beside me and tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, before gently pulling me in for a kiss.

"Cheesy line, Yosuke," I say to break the silence. I rest my head on his shoulder. "Good thing I like cheesy things."

He presses a kiss to the side of my head in response, intertwining his fingers with mine.

Neither one of us speaks, just enjoying each other's company, until Yosuke decides to sneak out and head home, with a promise to speak to each other tomorrow.


	7. Stake out time

Chapter 7 - 22nd June 2011, night

 

_'Check out the Midnight Channel tonight. The rumours of the channel involved you and you need to watch it like the rest of us to help solve the case.'_

The text message I had received from Yu earlier today had not-so-subtly hinted that whatever happens on the Midnight Channel is connected to the disappearances and murders that have been happening over the past few months. With no answers yet about this other world and how the others came about it, I had agreed to stay up and watch it.

_Although, I don't know how much help I'll be with this. I'm still in the dark about this whole situation and the others at least have had a couple of months to get their heads around this._

I glance at the clock on my phone, seeing that I still have four minutes to wait before the show will air. Sighing quietly, I abandon the magazine on my futon and seat myself on the sofa.

Chie had added me in a group chat and they all seem to think that the idol Rise Kujikawa is going to be the next victim. The media have been going berserk since learning of her return to Inaba, her hometown. As the others had made the connection between those being shown on TV appear on the Midnight Channel before they disappear, it seems likely that their theory is correct...

I lean my head backwards and close my eyes. "I wonder if we can save her before she goes missing?" I whisper to myself, memories of that other world flashing in my mind.

The whir of the television causes my eyes to fly open, my head snapping forward. A grainy image appears on the screen, with the silhouette of a petite high school girl taking centre stage in gold bikini. The camera focuses on the curves of her body, trying its hardest to accentuate them as she poses provocatively.

I swallow uneasily, watching the unknown girl parade on camera. The viewing ends with a quick shot of the star's face. While brief and blurry, there's no doubt that the person on screen is Rise Kujikawa, just as the others had predicted.

I stare at the screen for a few minutes more, before there's a knock at my door. Already knowing who is on the other side, I watch Yu stumble into my room as I open the door.

"You saw it then?" He asks me. While his voice is his usual calm self, worry, fear and almost excitement show in his eyes.

I scowl at him. _Typical bloke._ "If she really is missing, we need to save her before anything bad happens to her. Get your mind out of the gutter."

"The image wasn't 100% clear. She won't be in the TV World yet," he states. "And I'm not being perverted. I'm just not blind to hot, sex-"

"Okay, okay. Enough already!" I nearly shout at him, doing my best to drown him out.

"Speaking of perverts..." he mutters as his phone rings, winking at me as he answers it. "Hey, Yosuke."

"Low blow," I grumble at him. "I wanna speak to Yosuke too."

"Yeah, yeah," he replies, dismissing my comment. "Hold on, Yosuke." He puts his phone on speakerphone. "Happy now?"

"Thank you~" I say angelically, causing Yu to roll his eyes. "Hey, Yosuke."

"Kari? H-Hey..." He stumbles on his greeting, before continuing. "Anyway, I think we need to meet up tomorrow after school and see if we can catch this guy. Do you think you can sneak out for a couple of hours, Kari? I know it's not ideal and I don't want you to get hurt but we can help answer the questions I'm sure you're dying to ask at the same time."

I look at Yu, contemplating my answer, before I nod. "I need to get out for a bit. I'm back in school in a couple of days, so if I do get questioned by Dojima, I'll just say I'm getting used to being in the outside world again. Outside Marukyu for 4?"

"See you guys then," Yosuke agrees, before hanging up.

 

\-------------------------

 

23rd June 2011 - afternoon

 

"So, tell me again why the other girls couldn't make it?" Yosuke asks the downsized group, consisting of myself, Yu, Kanji and Yosuke.

I shrug my shoulders casually, twirling a strand of hair around my finger. "All Chie texted me was that she and Yukiko had to go to the Faculty Office after school."

"Just like she told us," Yu echoes. "It can't be helped; we'll just have to do a stakeout just the four of us."

"And you guys can fill me in on everything that you've been keeping from me. What that other world is, why I was targeted, the other "me"... You've kept me waiting long enough." I face the three men. "There's no better time than now to do with all of this time to kill."

Kanji fidgets uncomfortably, before facing Yu. "She's gotta point, Senpai."

Yu locks eyes with me, staring into my soul. He shakes his head with a sigh. "Fine. I'm not going to keep my attention 100% to this, as Rise Kujikawa's safety is our priority here." He glances at Marukyu behind him, which had quietened considerably since they'd arrived, a "sold out" sign on the shop door deterring any Risette fans from catching a glimpse of the idol herself.

 _No doubt she's hiding herself away,_ I note, having followed Yu's gaze. _In a town where everyone knows you and you don't know them, it's bound to be hard for her to tell who actually wants to know Rise and not only befriend Risette._

He tears himself away from the building and faces me once again. "Okay. You wanted answers to your questions? Very well. Before I explain, please understand that we don't have all of the answers yet ourselves. We're still searching for the truth."

I nod in response, silently beckoning him to continue.

"That 'other world', the TV World... It's where we find the people who have been kidnapped. It's where their other selves, an extreme version of the side they've suppressed, becomes active and berserk if they're denied. We don't know why or how that other world exists, as well as why you were targeted, but we do know that anyone local shown on television is at risk of becoming kidnapped and forced into the TV World.  
"Myself, Yosuke and Chie found out about that world just before Yukiko's disappearance. During that time, we met Teddie, a resident of that world. He helps us navigate that world, as well as keeping a knowledge over the shadows we fight.  
"That other self that you've fought and accepted manifests into a persona, which helps fight these shadows. They're the best way of defeating them, however summoning your persona too frequently can tire you out." He shakes his head. "That's basically the gist of it."

"I know that was a lot to take in," says Yosuke, gazing into my eyes. "Are you okay? Is there anything you want to ask?"

I stay silent for a moment. "...It's a lot to process." I look at the three men in turn. "So, you said that you found out about this TV World after Yukiko had gone missing. Then I guess Kanji was next and then me. But who was the first one to go missing? Because I feel like Yukiko wasn't the first."

Yu and Yosuke look at each other. "You're right, Yukiko wasn't the first person," Yosuke starts. He shakes his head and sighs. "Do you remember the first time we met at Junes? We talked about there being two victims; Mayumi Yamano and -"

"Saki Konishi," I echo Yosuke, who nods after we speak. I close my eyes and sigh. "Shit," I whisper. "I'm so sorry, Yosuke." I can't quite meet his gaze, but feel his hand gently grasp mine.

"You have nothing to apologise for," he murmurs, stroking my hand with his thumb.

"Well, it's about time!" Chie shouts from behind us, a cheesy grin on her face as herself and Yukiko walk towards us.

Her remark startles me and makes my face flush. I look down at our hands and then look at Yosuke, a chuckle escaping my lips. "I guess the cat's out of the bag."

"Not like we'd be any good at hiding it," Yosuke adds, circling an arm around my waist.

"I'm surprised to see you out already, Yuki-san," a voice says from behind Yukiko and Chie. Adachi pops his head up, chopsticks in hand as he slurps the noodles from a bowl of ramen. "Ah, thaths hoth!" He spits the noodles back, doing his best to maintain a sense of dignity.

I remove myself from Yosuke's grasp, feeling Adachi's eyes watch us. This couldn't be anymore awkward. "W-Well, I can't stay inside forever. I just wanted to get out, go out for a walk." I watch him cautiously, not trusting the look in his eyes. "You're not going to tell my uncle, are you?"

"He's my boss, I can't lie to him." He shrugs nonchalantly, but I see a gleam in his eyes.

Yu and Yosuke subtly move closer to me.

Adachi slowly watches everyone. "What's got everyone so tense? I am allowed to make a joke." He chuckles to himself. "I can't promise that he won't find out but I won't tell him."

I feel my shoulders sag in relief. "Thanks, Adachi. I-"

"Look! Up there!" Yukiko shouts, pointing to the telephone pole near Marukyu.

Towards the top of it, a slim, pasty man with ebony hair and glasses balances a camera in his hand, trying to support it. He loses his grip on the pole and painfully slides down, almost dropping his camera.

"Ow..." He mutters to himself, examining the camera. He looks over at us. "Uh-oh."

"You..." Kanji slowly stalks towards the man, nostrils flaring. He watches the man quickly stand up and back away, before breaking into a run. "Get back here!"

Chie and Yosuke flank him, keeping up with the blond giant.

"You two keep an eye on Rise-chan," Yukiko says to myself and Yu, before quickly following them.

"If the suspect gets hurt, the police will be to blame," Adachi cries as he runs, flailing after the students.

"That was weird. And I've seen a lotta things," a voice says from behind us.

We turn around to see a slender petite girl dressed in denim shorts, a pink top and a beige paper boy cap that rests gently on her half up cinnamon coloured ponytails. Rise Kujikawa adopts a poised thinking position, a bubblegum pink finger nail tapping her chin in thought. Despite her tired appearance, she manages to hold a twinkle in her chestnut coloured eyes.

Her eyes widen slightly in surprise. "Oh! You're that guy from before..."

"Huh?" I look between the two of them. "You two know each other?"

Yu scratches his head awkwardly. "Kind of. She lost her phone at Junes and I returned it to her."

"Not before I thought you were some creep stalking me," Rise adds.

I smirk at Yu when I see a faint blush appear on his cheeks. _He's smitten!_ "Every girl wants a knight in shining armour. I think you need to brush up on your act."

Rise laughs at me, although the previous sparkle has vanished. For once, Yu doesn't pick up on it.

 _She's more of a talented actress than I thought if she's able to fool Yu._ "Hey, Yu?" I start, reading the connection between two put Rise at ease. "Why don't you take Rise-chan to Samegawa? I'll keep an eye on things here."

Yu's eyes widen slightly at my suggestion. "Are you sure? I don't really want to leave you on your own..." He trails off, before nodding. "I'll text Yukiko to come back. Too much excitement on your first day out is bad."

I pout at his subtle jab at Yosuke. "I'll let that one slide, Aniki." I see Rise glance at our interaction curiously. "Oh, I never introduced myself. I'm Kari Yuki, Yu's sister. It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, Kari-san. Pretty sure you already know who I am," Rise says, somewhat awkwardly.

I chuckle slightly. "It must be an awkward feeling. But don't worry. Yu will look after you. In his own weird way, of course."

He jabs me in ribs slightly as he closes his phone with his right hand. "All sorted. Yukiko says that everyone is at the station, so she'll head over now." He faces Rise. "Shall we go?"

"Lead the way," Rise says with a smile. "Nice to meet you," she says to me.

"You too, Rise-chan," I reply, with a small smile. "I'll text you when the others are back, Yu."

I see them off with a wave and see how easily Yu falls into step beside Rise, enjoying each other's company and the sounds of their surroundings. I lean against the wall beside me and check my phone. No new messages.

_I really hope we've caught the culprit. But, is he really the guy we've been after all this time? Is Rise safe? I guess all we can do now is wait._


End file.
